Trace-carrier.



Patented Sept. 25, I900.

w. F. SMITH. TRACE CARRIER.

Application filed Mar- 17, 1900.i

(No Model.)

THE NORRIS FEYERS ca, Puorau'mmwuummom a. c.

Nrrnn STATES WILLIAM F. SMITH, OF CROOKETT, TEXAS.

TRACE-CARRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 658,492, dated September 25, 1900.

Application filed March 17, 1900. Serial No. 9,075. No model.)

To to whom it may concern:

lie it known that LWILLIAM F. SMITH,a cilizen of the United States, residing at. Crockett, in the county of Houston and State of Texas, have in vented a new and useful Trace-Carrier, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to trace-carriers, and has for one object to provide an improved device of this character which is especially designed to support the trace adjust-ably in a vertical direction, so as to vary the line of the draft upon the plow and also provide a guide and support for the reins. It is furthermore designed to facilitate the application of the device to a back-band and also to facilitate the engagement of the trace with the carrier.

WVith these and other objects in View the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a trace-carrier constructed in accordance with the present invention and illustrated as supporting a trace and a drivingrein. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional View thereof.

Corresponding parts in both figures of the drawings are designated by like characters of reference.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the back or body of the device, which is in the form of a fiat metal plate or strap,which is provided at its upper end with a transversely-disposed loop or eye 2 for connection with the adjacent end portion of a back-band 3. This connection is preferably made by means of a leather or other suitable loop 4, which is engaged with the outer end bar 5 of the metal loop 2, and has its upper portion sewed or otherwise secured to the outer face of the back-band and adjacent to one of the ends thereof.

Projecting outwardly from the inner or lower bar of the loop 2 is a fixed link 6, and hingedly connected thereto is a metal tongue 7, formed from a flat metal strip, which is normally pendent from the link, extends a suit-able distance below the lower end of the body-plate, and has its lower extremity provided with a slot or opening 8 for the reception of a suitable spring-catch 9, that projects outwardly from the lower end of the body of the device. Also the free extremity of the hinged tongue is reduced in width and bent upwardly or otherwise formed into a suitable finger-piece 10, whereby the tongue may be conveniently disengaged from the catch 9 and elevated to permit of the trace 11 being received between the tongue and the body of the carrier.

Extending laterally outward from the outer face of the bod y-plate 1 is a plurality of Vertically-alined pins or spurs 12, which project into corresponding perforations 13, formed in the hinged tongue to brace the outer ends of the pins.

In the application of the device the hinged tongue is disengaged from the catch 9 and then swung upwardly, after which the tracechain 11 has one of its links engaged with one of the pins, and then the tongue is folded downwardly and secured by the catch, so as to prevent accidental displacement of the chain-link from the pin. It will now be apparent that the trace-chain may be engaged with any one of the pins, so as to vertically adjust the chain, and thereby adj ust the depth of action of a plow.

Projecting laterally outward from the upper bar of the metallic loop 2 is a ring or eye 14: to loosely receive a driving-rein 15, so as to form a guide and a holder therefor to prevent the rein from dropping or sagging and becoming caught in the trace or the tracecarrier and at the same time permitting of the free and unrestricted use of the rein in the usual manner.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the present device may be conveniently applied to one end of a back-band with out altering or changing the latter or any of the other parts of the harness and also that it operates to adj ustably support the trace in a convenient and effective manner. It will of course be understood that each end of the back-band is to be provided with a trace-carrier, so as to support each trace. Also the loops 2 and 4 form a loose or swinging connection between the device and the backband, so that the former may swing with. the movement of the trace, and thereby not confine said trace fixedly to the back-band.

What I claim is 1. A trace-carrier, comprising a back or body plate, having a transverse loop or eye at its upper end, a spring-catch at its opposite lower end, and a plurality of intermediate vertioally-alined pins or prongs, and a tongue hinged to the upper portion of the back plate, and provided with a plurality of perforations for the reception of the outer ends of the respective pins, and a slot or opening to receive the spring-catch.

2. A trace-carrier comprising a back or body, having a transverse loop at its upper end, an attaching-loop embracing the upper side of the first-mentioned loop, a transverse link projecting outwardly from the lower side of the first-mentioned loop, a tongue hinged to the link and provided with a plurality of perforations, a plurality of outwardly-directed pins or prongs provided upon the back or body and to be received within the respective perforations of the tongue, and means forconnecting the free end of the tongue to the back or body.

3. A trace-carrier, comprising a fixed plate or body, and a plate or tongue hingedly connected at one end thereto, and a locking device for connecting said members at the other end and holding them in approximate parallelism, one of said members having a plurality of spaced pins or spurs disposed transversely to the plane of said members, said spurs being adapted for independent respective engagement with a trace-chain, and the other member having a series of perforations registering with and adapted to receive the free ends of said pins or spurs when the members are in parallelism.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM F. SMITH.

Witnesses:

ALBERT DAVID, G. W. BROXSON. 

